Rona Kobell
@rkobell.bsky.social
Cover Balt Co. for The Baltimore Banner. Priors: Balt Sun, Bay Journal, Md. Sea Grant, etc. Produced Eroding History, on PBS.org now. Wolverine, Terp, Yinzer. Hopkins SNF AGORA, Knight-Wallace fellow. Writing book on E. Shore for JHU Press. Bunny/girlmom.
I met Stephen Glass at a wedding in 2000. It was memorable; later that afternoon, I met the man who would become my husband. We were telling our older daughter about this encounter and decided we should watch this movie. It's interesting. The cinematography, to me, was somewhat off.
Most ‘Ovarian Cancer’ Isn’t. And That Fact Can Save Lives. www.nytimes.com/2026/07/28/h...
Most ‘Ovarian Cancer’ Isn’t. And That Fact Can Save Lives. (Gift Article)
The vast majority of cases begin in the fallopian tubes — and removing them can reduce the risk by nearly 80 percent.
nytimes.com
Elected officials hear that Baltimore County has too many vape shops at ever community meeting. And it has more than any other county in the state. A new bill will rein them in, but owners say they're immigrants making an honest living. www.thebanner.com/community/lo...
Baltimore County wants to curb vape shops
In August, the Baltimore County Council will consider a bill to reduce the number of smoke and vape shops and restrict where they can go.
thebanner.com
Deborah Sandidge Photography "Roseate Spoonbill on a sunny afternoon at the wetlands. She flutters her wings sending droplets of water into the air, keeping her feathers fresh and clean, baths are a joyful moment in the life of a spoonbill!"
The Today Show anchors are still a big enough deal that People had a story yesterday about Savannah Guthrie taking a vacation. My kids never heard of Matt Lauer, or Today, so when I told them what a big deal the show was, they really didn't have a sense. www.thebanner.com/community/cr...
How Matt Lauer’s sexual assault allegations shaped Baltimore County’s next top prosecutor
Sarah David’s friendship with former NBC producer Brooke Nevils informs how she will run the Baltimore County State’s Attorney Office.
thebanner.com
Brooke Nevils lays her soul bare in her book and was just as open in person about her low point – the day she says Matt Lauer, America's Dad, sexually assaulted her in a Russian hotel room. The book is "Unspeakable Things" and it's a tough read but informative. www.thebanner.com/community/cr...
How Matt Lauer’s sexual assault allegations shaped Baltimore County’s next top prosecutor
Sarah David’s friendship with former NBC producer Brooke Nevils informs how she will run the Baltimore County State’s Attorney Office.
thebanner.com
The new Baltimore County prosecutor is best friends with the woman who accused Matt Lauer of sexual assault. Sarah David's relationship with Brooke Nevils will change the way Maryland's third largest county considers and prosecutes sexual assault. Advocates say change is long overdue.
How Matt Lauer’s sexual assault allegations shaped Baltimore County’s next top prosecutor
Sarah David’s friendship with former NBC producer Brooke Nevils informs how she will run the Baltimore County State’s Attorney Office.
thebanner.com
People ask me for career advice a lot and I am not sure I have much because we all have our own paths but what I can say is that there are no shortcuts and you have to put in the work. Some people sail to the top quickly, but if they haven’t built a foundation, they won’t last long up there.
The Shedd Aquarium is rescuing 10 beluga whales from a shuttered Canadian park. blockclubchi.co/4wA3egg
The county that gave birth to Michael Phelps had no public swimming pools - a vestige of segregation. Even Phelps' mother, Debbie, told me it was challenging to find places, as a single mom, to get her kids in the water. There are efforts being made to change that. www.thebanner.com/community/lo...
Baltimore County gets more public swim hours. Some say it’s a drop in the bucket.
Baltimore County has no public pools for its 856,000 residents. It has tried to expand public swimming for decades, with little success.
thebanner.com
This is a day to distract ourselves with puppies, baby birds, and other adorable things.
Check out this article: What would a Julian Jones administration look like in Baltimore County? www.thebanner.com/politics-pow...
What would a Julian Jones administration look like in Baltimore County?
To see what kind of administration Julian Jones will lead in Baltimore County, look at where he stands on certain issues.
thebanner.com
One called council members “sissies.” Another blasts them for favoring developers. A third writes a running commentary on Facebook calling them “the Real Househusbands of Towson.” They've criticized the Baltimore County Council. And they just won their primaries. www.thebanner.com/community/lo...
They were Baltimore County council’s fiercest critics. Now, they might be in charge
Anti-establishment candidates who won their primary races promise to shake up business as usual.
thebanner.com
I am browsing a bookstore and I just heard someone, having asked specifically for books by a specific author, and having had the clerk hand her a book and say "this is my favorite of hers," ask "So do I have to buy it or can I just rent it?" Madam, what you are looking for is called a library.
We are still asking where Baltimore County’s public pools are. Stay tuned!
Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani@mayor.nyc.gov · last mo.When they said, "wear a suit," I just assumed… Find a public pool near you at nycgovparks.org.
app.thebaltimorebanner.com/A5V2VFIVBNHO...
Bobby LaPin lost the race. He’s not ready to leave the fight.
The morning after his primary election loss to Senate President Bill Ferguson, Bobby LaPin woke up and smashed together a grilled cheese and a bacon, egg and cheese sandwich. Then he jumped into his T...
app.thebaltimorebanner.com
We have made history in Baltimore County. Councilman Julian Jones is the Democratic nominee for County Executive. He will face a Republican in November. But only two Republicans have ever won the office. One was Spiro Agnew; the other Roger Hayden in 1994. www.thebanner.com/community/lo...
Julian Jones wins Democratic nomination for Baltimore County executive
Baltimore County Councilman Julian Jones has won the Democratic primary for county executive.
thebanner.com
This is my favorite election story I did in a season of them. I raise my own glass to the faded memory of learning how to be the reporter I am today in bars like this one.
Jesse Walker@notjessewalker.bsky.social · 2mo ago"We come not to eulogize the corner bar, but to raise a Natty Boh to its role in the Free State's long and boozy political tradition..."
"We come not to eulogize the corner bar, but to raise a Natty Boh to its role in the Free State's long and boozy political tradition..."
The taverns where candidates concocted their messages are gone. So is the fun.
Old-school Baltimore bars offered a (poorly lit) place for local candidates to try new lines, and were mandatory stops for those seeking higher office.
thebanner.com
Smart story from @hayesgardner.bsky.social on why Baltimore may be better off without legions of Scottish #Worldcup fans drinking up our Natty Bohs and slurping up our oysters. www.thebanner.com/sports/world...
Baltimore isn’t hosting World Cup matches. Maybe that’s for the best.
When M&T Bank Stadium missed out on hosting World Cup matches, Baltimore missed out on a boom of foreign visitors. But as other cities have learned, the economics of hosting doesn't always make sense.
thebanner.com
A lovely story about one of the town’s favorite Orioles, even if he plays elsewhere these days.
Trey Mancini’s MLB comeback was all about who was in the stands to see it
Mancini’s cancer diagnosis put his dream of having kids in doubt. But his daughter Sadie was there for his return to the bigs.
app.thebaltimorebanner.com
There is a retired blackface performer and former cop running in the Md. Republican primary, but he's not the most shocking candidate because there's a guy who just got censured for harassment, and another who served a sitting senator at a Memorial Day service. www.thebanner.com/politics-pow...
Blackface performer, peace order clash: Have Baltimore County Republicans gone full MAGA?
The coarsening discourse, attention-grabbing tactics, and efforts to out-MAGA one’s opponent mirror national politics.
thebanner.com
Released 40 years ago today. Still the greatest day off.
"We come not to eulogize the corner bar, but to raise a Natty Boh to its role in the Free State’s long and boozy political tradition." Do you miss these old corner bars? There are only a few left for old-fashioned politicking alongside a whiskey, neat.
The taverns where candidates concocted their messages are gone. So is the fun.
Old-school Baltimore bars offered a (poorly lit) place for local candidates to try new lines, and were mandatory stops for those seeking higher office.
thebanner.com
